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Keeping the Lords

There are three good reasons why we should keep an appointed second chamber, rather than elect one

November 19 2010, 12:01am, The Times

Sir, There are three powerful points in favour of retaining an appointed second chamber (letters, Nov 17 and 18). The first is that it is a check on an otherwise all-powerful executive, that the Commons (with its large proportion of members on the government payroll) rarely is. The second is that it gives proper scrutiny to ill-digested legislation that is often rushed through the Commons without proper debate. The third, and perhaps most practical, point is that ultimately the Commons, as the elected chamber, will almost always get its way, whatever the reservations of the Lords. Were the House of Lords to become an elected chamber, there would be likely to be significant and serious battles with the Commons over which chamber was the more…